SOAPnet To Cease Operations in December (Updated)

It seems like SOAPnet has been going away for the past few years, and it looks like the cable channel dedicated to soap operas will finally be gone for everyone by the end of the year. Based on customer communications from Time Warner, Cox, Charter, AT&T U-verse, Comcast and others, SOAPnet will no longer be available after December 2013.

RMA Cable:
The ABC Cable Group advised RMA Cable today that effective Dec. 31st, 2013 at 11:59:59EST they will cease entirely to exist. The channel will shutdown completely.

As such, it will no longer be available on the RMA Cable (or any other cable/satellite) system.

Charter:
"On or after December 17, 2013, SOAPnet and G4 will go dark for Charter customers. The drops were decided by the networks and beyond our control."

Comcast:
SOAPnet is listed under the networks up for renewal in December with an additional note of "ceasing operations".

Cox:
"The Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company has slowly been pulling this channel across the country. SoapNet will no longer be available on the Cox lineup or any other video provider's lineup."

AT&T U-verse:
"Effective December 31, SOAPnet (channel 365) will no longer be available."

Time Warner:
"On or after December 23rd, Soapnet will no longer be available."

It was announced in 2010 that SOAPnet would go away in January 2012, and then Spring 2012. Some viewers still have the network to this day and ABC-Disney has, so far, never clearly explained what was going on.

Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group, said in a May 2010 press release: “The launch of Disney Junior in the U.S. is the next step in our global preschool strategy, which began 10 years ago with the premiere of our first dedicated preschool channel in the UK. The decision to ultimately transition SOAPnet to accomplish this was not arrived at lightly. SOAPnet was created in 2000 to give daytime viewers the ability to watch time-shifted soaps, before multiplatform viewing and DVRs were part of our vocabulary. But today, as technology and our businesses evolve, it makes more sense to align this distribution with a preschool channel that builds on the core strengths of our company.”

SOAPnet normally releases program schedules a couple of months in advance but has not published anything beyond November to date.

SOAPnet currently airs same day repeats of NBC's DAYS OF OUR LIVES and ABC's GENERAL HOSPITAL. The network previously showed THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS weekday evenings but that show moved to TVGN in July.

UPDATED:
The Walt Disney Co. has confirmed it is officially pulling the plug on SOAPnet effective December 31, 2013.

"SOAPnet had a great run," Ben Pyne, president of global distribution for Disney Media Networks, said in an interview Friday. "It served an audience of super-soap fans. And when given the opportunity, all of our affiliates kept the channel up and running."

I will miss the classic OLTL episodes that are played in the morning. and will miss at night if GH was pre-empted during the day.. I could watch it though on my Ipad the next day. But is more convenient to watch that same evening.

I could easily see TVGN striking a second deal with Sony and pairing Days of Our Lives with it's rebroadcast of Y&R. And Disney-ABC would be stupid not to continue repurposing their own General Hospital on something like ABC Family - even if it were at midnight when they begin two whole hours of the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" or a Saturday afternoon marathon. - jmho

TVGN seems to have a lot of reality series on the horizon. I think they want to use Y&R as a good lead-in for their new 8 p.m. ET programs. ABC Family could be great corporate synergy. My beloved FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS bombed on ABC Family but it would be very interesting to see how GH would fair on that network .

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that TVGN would put either Days or Y&R on during primetime, but was thinking more like keeping Y&R at 7pm and having Days precede it at 6pm. And right now, they already rerun Y&R at Midnight. So maybe pair them again in the 11pm and Midnight hours. That would still leave TVGN 8pm - 11pm for whatever three hours of primetime they have planned.

This irks me. I like watching GH when it is pre-empted in the daytime. And I like watching the older shows like Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, One Tree Hill, and the old re-runs of All My Children and One Life To Live. Grrrrr!

This is Terrible. I love watching GH at night. I really like watching all the other shows on the channel too. They are taking away a great channel. I hope another channel will pickup the episodes of GH to rerun.

I feel the same way. I'm sick of Disney taking off channels to add more kid stuff. Disney has enough channels, leave Soapnet alone. I watch Days & GH every night and look forward to cliff hanger Friday not being pre-tempted. I am hoping TVGN will pick up these 2 Soaps and add to lineup with Y&R. It would be a great benefit to their network to pick up these 2 shows. I really hope they do.

I also do not see Verizon listed, will it keep SoapNet? I also watch GH at night due to it being interrupted so much during the day. I especially hate it when they break in and there is only like 15 minutes left of GH. Why can't they wait and interrupt Katie? It used to be that OLTL was interrupted as it was in the time slot that GH now occupies. I also love watching the old OLTL eppies, as it doesn't look like it will be back anytime soon with the law suit that was filed.

Verizon is the only cable co. that no one is able to confirm yet, but look at bill as many I know are telling me they found out about it same way I did. On bill as by law they must notify 30 days before a downgrade or change in your service. Don't see how Verizon can continue if the other companies are saying it is due to SN ceasing operations. Guess we will all know if it is rumor or true when we scream..

I agree, loosing Soapnet sucks. ABC interrupts GH so often and we have rights to. There are other shows that can be interrupted as well. Just cause its a soap opera doesn't mean it should be the only time period interrupted.

It's not a question of "Will ____ cable company continue to carry SoapNet?" when the channel appears to be simply ceasing production. Think of it like the twinkie thing earlier this year. If the company stops manufacturing/producing the twinkies, then no store can carry them because they've ceased production. One can't assume that some stores will have them while others won't. Hopefully someone will try to carry DOOL and GH in the same way others took up production of the twinkies, though...:-)

Very disappointing news. Like others, I end up watching off SoapNet because of network news preemptions. But we've also gotten SoapNet for almost two years longer than we were supposed to, so I'm grateful for that.

I keep hearing that Y&R is doing great on TVGN. So, I can only imagine TVGN or another cable company might try to pick up same day repeats of Days. Meantime, ABC would be foolish not to put GH repeats on one of the many cable channels it owns such as ABC Family.

One other note, I can watch up to a week's worth of GH episodes on Time Warner Cable on Demand. It's listed among the ABC shows under the Primetime On Demand options.

Add Optimum (used to be known as Cablevision) in the NYC area marketplace to the list they have contacted all their customers via November bills that SN is ceasing operations and no longer negotiating ANY contracts with cable companies. Cox,Charter,AT&T,as well as Time Warner have also admitted this as of today.

This is sad news, but I felt this day would come when SOAPnet stopped running Another World and Ryan's Hope. I was most excited to watch the channel when it ran shows like Knots Landing, Dynasty, and Melrose Place. I recall the network claimed not enough people watched the classic soaps to bother.

I know alot of you are saying that you watch GH and ?? when they get interrupted during the day...but me on the other hand...I work from 9 to 5. I don't have the option of a different time. I have been watching GH almost since I was able to sit up by myself. Between my mother and grandmothers...my sisters and I know the characters better than some family members. So...we get another Disney channel....that's great! IF YOU HAVE KIDS...which I do not. So....I get to pay for another channel that I have no desire to tune in to. Oh well...screwed again...and Soapnet was one of the reasons I cut my cable and got DirecTv...because my cable carrier did not provide Soapnet. DAMMIT!

I agree with you 100%. I have watched since I was a child but that is impossible for 9-5 working adults. I don't have children either so it is useless to me. They are running a tape occasionally on the bottom of the screen saying tomorrow is last day. I can hardly read it. There is so much investment in so-called reality I don't think anyone care. I heard Anthony Geary say the same thing

I am heartbroken over losing my favorite TV channel Dec. 31, but thank God we had it a couple of years longer than they said. I guess it's going to be catch GH on ABC at 2 or struggle to watch it online. I guess if it's pre-empted, it's just our tough luck! Thanks for all the years of pleasure SOAPnet! This is sad on top of losing OLTL and AMC again.

I only have internet access on my smart phone, & since I live in the boonies, even that is super duper S-S-Ssllllllooooow...So even though I have my DVR, if GH or Days get pre-empted, I just have to hope I don't miss anything important. This REALLY f-in sux butt! I am so tired of losing great shows & great channels! We don't have access to ANY cable companies out here (SUCK), & 1/2 the reason I got satellite in the 1st place when I moved to BFE was for my beloved SOAPnet! Now, of course, ABC/Disney has to rip that away as well. Is it time to team up & kick Guza's butt yet? Lol

Like so many others, while I record DOOL every day on my DVR, they always seem to pick 1:00 Eastern to interrupt for a special news bulletin, so I could catch what I missed on Soapnet. How many kids' channels does ABC need? Bummer!

I didn't realize they were discontinuing soap net, that's the only channel I watch at night-I was in the middle of GF and the screen froze, clicked the channel, went back and 158 isn't there anymore :(

That's the only reason I have a Charter upgraded package. I usually miss Days of Our Lives during the day and have always tuned in at night to Soapnet. Nothing on regular tv but violent trash. Days has some of that, but it's mild compared to the garbage networks are peddling these days. I watch maybe 5 channels and that was one of them. No need for an upgraded package now. Women are always marginalized. 5 million sports channels for you guys though. Soaps may be frivolous, but so is sports. IT's a Game!

Really disappointed with SoapNet discontinuing it's services on Charter Cable. Already pay enough for the little bit of channels that we do get unless you continue to upgrade to the different tiers. This channel was the most watched in this household as I enjoyed Veronica Mars, Beverly Hills 90210, One Tree Hill and so on... Really wish that you would come up with any alternative so we can continue to watch them.

I am really disappointed that they are pulling this off of the air, I like the fact that I can watch the soaps the same day instead of watching them on Primetime on Demand the next day. You cant even watch Days of our Lives on Primetime at all. Such a disappointed and for the amount of money that we pay for cable tv it sucks

I am disappointed, too. 90210 is one of my favorites; I'd rather watch SoapNet than some of the other things that the cable companies think are worth watching and paying for. We're paying for reruns as it is; why would anyone think SoapNet should cease operations? Another bad decision.

I am very upset I came home today and around 7pm found soap net is no longer an option. I work 10hr days and always watch GH at 7pm. Like others I have the high package just so I could have soap net I will also be downgraded my tv package. This is ridiculous!!

I am livid! I had no idea, no warning this was happening. There are so few shows I have any interest in but GH in the evening was a must! When is the day going to come when you can select and pay only for channels you want. Am I understanding I shouldn't blame the cable companies for this because SoapNet is ceasing its operations? Even so, I blame Comcast for not being able to articulate this to me. I just got off the phone with someone who sounded like he had marbles in his mouth.

I totally agree with all of you. This is total nonsense. We love our soaps, so why do they have to take them off? NO notice, just a missing channel. I found this site when trying to find out what happened. Charter is getting worse and worse. With what we pay per month, you would think we would get to keep the channels because they never offered any new ones to replace them.

OMG I guess it was out there but I had no idea either and cannot imagine no more GH. This is devasting and NOT at all Merry! I have about 3 weeks recorded and I shall savor each and every last episode. I am where Robin is in Pt Chrles to get another round of stuff for the evil Jerry Jax...Bet they probably leave ya hanging when last episode aired? My last recording shows 12-18-13... BAD BAD SOAPNET----Santa better leave lots of coal for you!

I remember when my first son was born , he stayed up all night and the only thing on was soapnet and Home Shopping network. I was so happy to watch Knots Landing reruns andhave been watching Y and R and Beverly Hills 90210 and Gilmore Girls. I will miss it as TV these days is too much reality TV and not enough drama. It is good Hallmark is starting to bring some drama shows and TV Land some good old shows. Sorry to see it go.

Everyone, call, email, and write via snail mail to protest the head honchos at Disney and ABC who make these idiotic decisions at the top. Do this repeatedly. All of us. Unite to form far-reaching boycotts against all things Disney and ABC. Also, bombard TVGN to procure the rights to include Days and GH in their Y&R/B&B M through F lineup! Everyone write, email, and call them!

This really sucks as much as GH is interrupted by newscast I love to go to the soap net and catch up and see what I missed Plus I have been watching old soaps because I have worked for so long 12 hour shifts the hospital that Imissed OLTL please don't take it away. I got directv because it had the soap net. When everyone is gone I turn on my soaps it is my time.

WOW with all the money Disney has you would think that they could just buy a channel for SoapNet, I am truly bummed GH was at its best in 2009-2011 and now I can't watch it anymore, Does anyone have info on an app that I can download on my phone and watch the old ones from there?

Please don't cancel soap net it is the only way I have to watch OLTL I missed alot working and with Gh always being interrupted by news cast it is the only way I can watch it. This really is a bad thing lots of people depend on it. not a good move.I need soap net due to hour hours around here

Very disappointed....Soapnet is the only channel that I watch regularly. I worked during the day and it's very convenient for me to watch GH and DOOL during the evening and weekend. Once again, the consumers "get left out in the rain". WHAT A SHAME...

DISNEY... they think they are so smart. Not so smart, first canceling AMC and OLTL, replacing with two OTHER shows (one canceled within months, now Katie canceled - big surprise). ABC execs (Frons) turned everyone upside down... so, we'll fire him .. and that will fix it... wrong. And now .. the final insult, cancellation of SOAPnet, the only channel left for soaps, old episodes (which are great to watch...love it every morning when getting ready for work - instead of watching idiots on local morning shows) ... and fwhy are they getting rid of it ?? For ANOTHER DISNEY Jr. CHANNEL... like DISNEY doesn't have enough of a monopoly on childrens channels/cartoons?? Do we need another DISNEY Jr. channel ? Really? I am so disappointed in ABC... from the cancellations, law suit with Prospect Park (which is another issue entirely...ugh) , to now this cancellation of SOAPnet. I'm done with ABC/DISNEY - that's it. They have nothing worth watching anymore ... and unfortunately, I will do without Jeopardy and Castle. Again, I'm done... not watching Channel 7 (NY area) any longer. Happy New Year

This is horrible!! I enjoyed watching old episodes of GH that I had never seen. Now what?!! Doesn't Disney have enough kids programming already?? This is so sad. Wow Disney thanks a lot! I guess you have enough money you don't have to care what viewers think or air what they want to see.

Time Warner pulled the plug a day early :( Interesting to learn that Disney wasn't even charging a carrier fee for soapnet for quite some time. I'm sure the cable companies passed those savings on to consumers *cough* And also, ABC decides /now/ is a good time to make it even harder to watch GH with their stupid cable login rule? As crummy as it's been lately I'm not sure I'll make the effort.

I disagree with the pulling of soapnet if you had moved the young and the restless or pulled off dallas or knots landing and falcon crest another world you could had brought guideing light as the world turns the bold and the beautiful search for tomorrow and capital I pay dish network 74.99 a month I called them and told them I am not paying 74.99 until I get your channel back be brave and work with dish on this thank you mr pendleton my email is williamandpat@gmail.com

I do not care if it is gone or not. I have dish network. I watch my soaps on my local TV station. If I am not at home, I record it. I have never bothered to watch it on Soap.net. Never known anyone else who watches Soap.net either. I tuned in one time a long time ago. The video quality was sub par, so never bothered with it ever again.

I will most definitely go to basic cable.I have 3 kids 8 9 and 3 and running around to school and after school activities cleaning house, cooking bath time and then putting them to bed.I love to relax at night watching SN well........I guess no more.THANKS A LOT

This is inexcusable. I watch DAYS several times a week on Soapnet because a busy daytime schedule keeps me occupied. What is your problem? It can't be because you don't have enough viewers!! Best review your position. THANX.

they don't think a bout single working mothers that like soaps and cant watched them in the day time I am to upset about this cause I love gh and cant watch it in the day time except for days off and that 2 days a week and some times I ger weekends off this really is not cool

The executives thanked us for our support over the years, while they were planning to discontinue broadcasting Soap Net. They have all the control over what we see and if it's not making them enough revenue they don't care. They discontinue broadcasting, and that is just what happened.

Very dissatisfied! Some of us do have jobs during the day that do not allow us to watch our soaps that play at that time. I used this channel every evening to be able to keep up with my soaps. Really would like to see the soaps moved to some evening times as well as day times.

I always DVR DOOL and when I get a chance to watch it alot of the times I see the winter weather report for the whole hour, or the mayor of NYC giving a report on something that is only interesting to the citizens of NYC. I live in a motorhome & travel the USA so I pay to get the east coast networks. So when we get settled & get the dish up & zeroed in, I check to see if there DOOL or something else. I am glad to remember that I always have SOAPNET to fall back on. Please don't get rid of it. Is Disney hurting for money so bad that they have to get rid of a channel for "the little guy" who watches soaps and not a Disney show? please rethink the decision. Thanks, Chris